Guidance

LA Welfare Direct 4/2026

Updated 8 April 2026

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/la-welfare-direct-bulletins-2026/la-welfare-direct-42026

Contact

If you have queries about the:

  • technical content of this bulletin then contact details are given at the end of each article

  • general content and distribution of this bulletin, contact lawelfare.correspondence@dwp.gov.uk

Who should read

All Housing Benefit colleagues, County Councils and wider if appropriate

County Councils: Please note the articles at paragraphs 20 to 29, 30 to 32, 33 to 38 and 51 are for your attention.

Action

For information.

Crown Copyright 2026 

Recipients may freely reproduce this bulletin.

Editorial

Hopefully, by the time you read this, all your end of year activities will be far behind you with uprating done and dusted and Council Tax bills all out. Looking forward to the financial year ending March 2027 there is a great deal going on for us all. In addition to all the usual activities in the annual cycle of business, in this month’s edition we also cover the launch of the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) and an update on the national rollout of the Care Home Information Service. 

I know many of you have been busy getting things ready to launch CRF and we massively appreciate your efforts and do not underestimate the challenges ahead. We hope all the engagement we have undertaken with you so far, through all-local authority calls and webinars and issuing of guidance, have helped with your preparations and we’ll continue to do this throughout the year. 

So, even with things being so busy, I hope you are able to take some time to enjoy life outside of work over the bank holiday period.  

Darren Baker
Head of Change and Communications, Fraud, Error and Debt Team 
Local Authority Partnership, Engagement and Delivery

Reminder: Correct process for local authorities requesting Third Party Deductions from benefits  

1. Local authorities (LAs) are reminded that there is an established process for requesting Third Party Deductions from a claimant’s benefit. Recently, a number of LAs have returned to sending in written requests by post, which cannot be actioned. As a result, any written request received by post will not be processed and will be returned.  

The correct email process 

2. To request a deduction from a benefit, LAs must use the approved email request process for each benefit as appropriate. This ensures: 

  • the request is captured accurately 

  • all mandatory information is provided 

  • the case can be processed promptly

  • claimant details and data security standards are maintained

Further support available 

3. The correct process for each benefit can be found in the Deductions from benefit: how creditors can apply guidance. 

4. If your LA is unsure which process to use or for more general questions, contact your Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWPs) National Partnership Team lead.  

Reminder: Deadline for the submission of Housing Benefit pre-audit final claims and Discretionary Housing Payment end of year final claims 

5. Pre-audit final claims for Housing Benefit (HB) subsidy and Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) claims (England and Wales only) are normally provided to DWP by 30 April each year.  

6. The HB subsidy pre-audit final claim form was issued to all LAs on 10 March 2026 and the DHP end of year government contribution final claim form was issued in late March 2026.  

7. LAs must submit their claims by 30 April 2026 for the financial year ending (FYE) March 2026.  

8. Please return your completed claim form for:  

9. If, for any reason, you have not received either claim form or you need any further information then contact us at lawelfare.lapaymentsandsubsidy@dwp.gov.uk 

Reminder: Statutory deadline for notifying details of a Reporting Accountant for the FYE March 2027 subsidy claim 

10. LAs must appoint a Reporting Accountant to undertake HB Assurance Process (HBAP) work and notify DWP of the successful appointment. Instructions for notifying DWP of a successful appointment are contained in Appendix 1 of HBAP Module 1. This notification must be issued to DWP by the LA no later than 1 March prior to the commencement of the financial year for which this procedure will apply.  

11. The deadline for notifying DWP for the FYE March 2027 subsidy claim was 1 March 2026. LAs that have not met this deadline are asked to do so immediately, including any notifications for prior years if applicable.  

12. If there has been a delay in appointing a Reporting Accountant, please provide details of the expected date of appointment.  

13. Replies to this request should be sent to lawelfare.hbassurance@dwp.gov.uk

Update: New HB Subsidy Hub and reminder for IP address information by 8 April 2026  

14. As advised in March’s LAWD3/2026 bulletin, the Local Authority Partnership, Engagement and Delivery (LA-PED) division is working towards replacing the PDF subsidy estimate and claim forms, as well as the audit workbooks (HBAP Module 3), with new online versions accessed through a new HB Subsidy Hub.  

15. Our user testing is now underway and we will be testing some aspects of the new hub with a small group of volunteer authorities in the next few weeks.  

Reminder for IP addresses 

16. In readiness for the hub being available to LAs, we sent a letter directly to LAs (dated 11 March 2026) asking for IP address information by 24 March 2026. Thank you to all LAs that have provided their information by the deadline. We ask that those of you who have not yet responded do so as soon as possible and by no later than 8 April 2026.  

Future communications 

17. Please look out for:  

  • general updates in future editions of the LAWD  

  • direct communications to LA single inboxes to request information and details in order to set LAs up with the hub  

  • direct communications to LA single inboxes in the coming months which will include guidance on how to use the new hub and the support that will be given to LAs as we move closer to go-live later in 2026

Publication of refreshed HBAP modules for the FYE March 2026 

18. DWP has recently refreshed and published the following HBAP modules for the FYE March 2026: 

19. If you have any questions, contact lawelfare.hbassurance@dwp.gov.uk  

Update: Care Home Information Service and Adult Social Care Director workshop on 20 April 2026  

20. The Care Home Information Service (CHIS) is now reaching the end of the early adopter phase. The work carried out with our early adopter LAs and their Adult Social Care (ASC) IT software suppliers has ensured we are ready for national rollout across all LAs that deliver ASC.   

21. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our early adopter LAs. Their time, support and valuable feedback have been vital in helping us shape, improve and strengthen the CHIS solution.  

National rollout and ASC Directors workshop  

22. DWP and ASC IT software suppliers have started onboarding LAs in tranches. DWP will contact LAs directly eight to twelve weeks in advance of their scheduled upgrade to begin the process. 

23. To help with full implementation of CHIS it is important that all ASC Directors attend the online workshop at 2pm on Monday 20 April 2026, where we will outline our expectations of you and explain how we will support you through the go-live process.  

24. This session will give you an opportunity to learn more about CHIS, understand how your LA and your citizens will benefit from this important initiative and hear how DWP will work with you to implement it successfully. 

25. We recognise that some ASC Directors may not be able to attend. In that case, each LA should ensure an empowered deputy attends on their behalf.

Joining instructions for the ASC Directors workshop  

26. The joining instructions are: 

  • The MS Teams link to this meeting has been shared in the version of the LAWD4/2026 that was sent directly to each LA’s single inbox. (Note: It is more difficult to ask questions through dial-in so, if you anticipate having questions, we recommend joining through MS Teams where possible)

  • Aim to join the event two or three minutes before the start time, as we intend to start promptly

27. Do note, speakers will be muted by default but instructions will be given during the event if you want to ask a question. 

28. We look forward to welcoming you to the workshop and working with you as CHIS moves into national rollout. 

29. If you have any questions ahead of the session, please get in touch at lawelfare.ladsdeliveryteam@dwp.gov.uk  

Update: DHPs and the Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payments 

30. The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) launched in England on 1 April 2026. 

31. The Discretionary Financial Assistance and Discretionary Housing Payments (Amendment and Revocation) Regulations 2026 were laid on the 11 March 2026 and came into force as planned on the 1 April 2026. These Regulations: 

  • amend the territorial application of DHP legislation to Wales only and ensure DHPs continue uninterrupted in Wales 

  • enable DHPs in England to be incorporated into the CRF to become CRF Housing Payments

32. The Regulations also remove the 2.5 top up limit for DHPs in Wales. This means that LAs in Wales can top up DHP funding from their other funding streams, with no limit applied to this amount. This amendment to DHP legislation will ensure parity with CRF Housing Payments in England, which do not have a top up limit.  

Reference documents 

Invitation to the next Data sharing and IT consultation and engagement forum 

33. The next forum will be held on Tuesday 21 April 2026 from 11am to 12 noon. 

34. The joining instructions are: 

  • The MS Teams link to this meeting has been shared in the version of the LAWD4/2026 that was sent directly to each LA’s single inbox. Do note: It is more difficult to ask questions through dial-in so, if you anticipate having questions, we recommend joining through MS Teams where possible

  • Aim to join the event two or three minutes before the start time, as we intend to start promptly

35. Please note: Speakers will be muted by default but instructions will be given during the event if you want to ask a question.  

Forum agenda  

  • A 15 minute introduction from DWP, covering projects recently delivered, projects currently in delivery, insight into future planned projects, as well as the most recent common issues that have been reported to us

  • 30 to 45 minutes of questions from LAs on the call about the projects and matters covered in the introduction and any other IT and data sharing questions and issues LAs may have

  • If time allows, 15 minutes focused on suggestions from LAs about future data sharing, data matching or automation projects that DWP could consider funding and delivering

36. The call will be recorded and the recording will be published on Glasscubes. 

37. The forum is open to all LAs and it would be beneficial for every LA to have at least one representative join the forum to help us maximise feedback. Each LA representative should: 

  • seek input and feedback from as many of their colleagues as possible prior to dialling in, for example, questions they might want to be answered

  • have knowledge, at least at a high level, about data sharing, data matching and current IT topic areas

  • feedback to their colleagues about how the conference call went, including the answers to the questions we asked

38. We look forward to your participation on the call. However, if you have any questions in the meantime, please contact paul.selby@dwp.gov.uk

Secondment opportunities in LA-PED division  

39. Working with LAs, as one of our major stakeholders in Welfare Reform, continues to feature heavily. For this reason, we value the expertise and knowledge that LA HB experts can bring to the team. These secondment opportunities provide those experts with an opportunity to gain an insight and experience of policy development and the workings of central government. 

40. LA-PED division has had a programme of bringing HB experts from LAs in to work alongside data sharing, subsidy, change and performance teams on secondment. We are now looking to register your interest for further secondment opportunities over the coming months.  

41. LA-PED comprises of approximately 140 staff. The division is responsible for overseeing the performance of LAs in their delivery of HB. It monitors a range of performance data including how quickly and accurately HB is paid and the prevention and detection of fraud and error. LA-PED offers support and challenge to those LAs not meeting performance expectations.  

42. It supports a large programme of data sharing activity that is paramount in helping LAs pay the correct amount of HB and is heavily involved in managing change activity supporting the Welfare Reform agenda.  

43. It’s also responsible for paying HB Administration Subsidy, DHP, New Burdens and additional grant funding.  

44. This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in maintaining and improving stakeholder relationships between DWP and LAs.  

Personal requirements  

45. Candidates should possess the following:  

  • Good understanding of HB procedures and regulations  

  • Good drafting and communication skills  

  • Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with Las and other stakeholders  

  • Ability to work with people at different levels in the organisation and to work as part of a team to achieve results  

  • Ability to deliver work at pace with successful, quantifiable outcomes  

Further information  

46. Secondment posts would be offered for either 12 months or 24 months dependant on the role offered across the division. The posts would usually be full time and based across the country, although no moves at public expense would be considered. These opportunities will be determined by business need so your CV will be kept on file and you will be contacted once a suitable opportunity arises.  

47. If you are keen to register your interest and are at S01/S02/S03 and Pay Band level 4 or equivalent, (roughly equates to civil service HEO/SEO/G7 grades):  

Practitioners’ Operational Group and Local Authority Welfare Steering Group   

48. The last Local Authority Welfare Steering Group meeting took place on Thursday 19 March 2026. Agenda items included bringing together the administration of HB and Pension Credit, LA funding, Move to Universal Credit, the CRF, supported housing and legacy HB Discovery.  

49. Both groups’ meetings are held bi-monthly (and alternately), so the next Practitioners’ Operational Group meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday 16 April 2026.   

50. If you have any questions regarding topics raised at these consultation groups, email lawelfare.correspondence@dwp.gov.uk        

Pension Credit applications and awards data: Updated February 2026 

51. The Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2026, published on 26 February 2026, provides data on Pension Credit applications and awards between April 2023 and February 2026 in Great Britain only. A supplementary release of statistical information was also published, which includes the geographic distribution of applications and awards by geography for Great Britain only. 

HB Decisions by the Upper Tribunal  

52. Decision Making and Appeals (DMA) Leeds is not aware of any cases that have been decided by the Upper Tribunal (UT). 

53. A selection of decisions of the UT are published on their website. Do be aware that there is an undefined time lapse between decisions being issued and their appearance on the website. 

54.  If you have any queries about cases before the UT Judges or courts, contact quarryhouse.dmaleedscustomersupportservices@dwp.gov.uk  

HB cases awaiting decision by the UT 

55. DMA Leeds has not been made aware of any HB case that is awaiting decision by the UT. 

New Legislation

56. The following Statutory Instruments (SIs) have been laid:  

57. Copies of SIs can now be downloaded from legislation.gov.uk

What’s new on our HB pages on GOV.UK

58. The following Housing Benefit items can be found on the website links shown:

Document Type Subject Link
LAWD bulletin Editorial
Changes to entitlement for Statutory Sick Pay
Post Office compensation schemes
Changes to the HB overpayment recovery good practice guide
Update: Removal of the Public Service Network for DWP and call for volunteers for the new internet-based solution to access Searchlight and Verify Earnings and Pensions
A new online HB Subsidy Hub is coming
Update: Searchlight Phase 3 Universal Credit data enhancement delivery
Update: UC Local Council Tax Reduction enhancements project closure
Update: Identifying Local Vulnerability progress towards a Minimum Viable Product
New additions to the published HB statistics
HB Debt Recoveries statistics for April 2025 to September 2025
Invitation to the next Data sharing and IT consultation and engagement forum
Update: Move to UC
Help us spread the word: Check your State Pension age campaign
Practitioners’ Operational Group and Local Authority Welfare Steering Group
HB Decisions by the Upper Tribunal
New Legislation
What’s new on our HB pages on www.gov.uk		 LAWD3/2026
Subsidy (S) circular Housing Benefit
Administration Subsidy arrangements for English, Scottish and Welsh local authorities for the financial year ending March 2027.		 S1/2026
S circular Discretionary Housing Payment government contribution for Welsh local authorities for the financial year ending March 2027 S2/2026
Adjudication (A) circular War Pensions uprating for the financial year ending March 2027 A1/2026
A circular HB Award Accuracy Initiative for the financial year ending March 2027 A2/2026
Guidance Discretionary Housing Payments guidance manual Discretionary Housing Payments guidance manual
Guidance Housing Benefit Assurance Process (HBAP) Module 1 DWP reporting framework instruction for the financial year ending March 2026 (applicable to England only)
Guidance HBAP Module 2 Uprating checklist for the financial year ending March 2026
Guidance HBAP Module 6 Approach and testing strategy for the financial year ending March 2026 (applicable to England only)
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